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America’s Senseless Iran Sanctions

The Trump administration’s effort to topple the Iranian regime is unlikely to succeed. With the European Union committed to upholding the 2015 nuclear deal, and Russia, China, and India all eager to do business with the country, Iran still has enough partners to weather the storm.

CANBERRA – The sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States earlier this month are designed to isolate the country economically, and to force either regime change or a dramatic shift in the regime’s behavior. American officials have called the newest sanctions – the second tranche since August – the “toughest” ever on Iran.

And yet, despite the hardship the sanctions will cause for ordinary Iranians, they are unlikely to deliver the outcomes that US President Donald Trump desires.

The latest sanctions follow Trump’s withdrawal in May from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under that deal, Iran agreed to pursue nuclear technology only for peaceful purposes, in exchange for relief from all nuclear-related sanctions maintained by the United Nations and the US.

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